The Context: A World of Global Tensions and Fragility

Conflicts and geopolitical tensions today are interconnected; they are systemic, widespread, and deeply linked to global business activities. From trade wars and volatile leadership transitions to climate disasters, armed conflicts, and territorial disputes, the world’s political landscape is becoming increasingly unstable. The number of global conflicts has nearly doubled in the past five years, with over 233,000 reported fatalities in 2024. There is also a rising number of coups d’état, territory occupations by rebel groups, terrorist attacks by jihadist organisations, and other forms of political unrest that threaten regional security and disrupt civilian lives. Since 2021, the frequency of coups and coup attempts has risen significantly, averaging between 14 and 16 incidents annually. In recent years, we have witnessed an alarming normalisation of power grabs and a disregard for territorial integrity, driven by autocratic leaders in Russia and China. This climate has encouraged local actors to seize territories, often without accountability from the international community.

A notable example is the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where within the last six months, the situation has rapidly worsened into a full-scale invasion of Goma and Bukavu, the two largest cities in the region, by the non-state armed group M23. This group has also gained control of key mining areas. Eastern Congo is rich in coltan, a vital mineral necessary for car batteries and mobile phones. Reports indicate large-scale human rights violations committed by the rebel group, leaving the population extremely vulnerable, with the economy collapsing and people running out of money, medicine, and food. Consequently, most major companies, including foreign businesses, have responded by suspending operations, causing devastating ripple effects: farmers have lost access to markets, formal employment has vanished, and poverty has deepened, creating a vicious cycle where local people are forced to seek alternative income sources, which may include illegal mining or joining rebel groups. For instance, Dutch beverage company Heineken suspended operations after M23 took over Goma and Bukavu, and has recently announced that it has lost operational control of its facilities in eastern DRC. Businesses that are still operating in the region are faced with a range of levies imposed under the newly established M23 administration, making it increasingly difficult to do business.

For foreign businesses with local operations, these dynamics have serious consequences: they directly impact the suspension of their activities, leading to a loss of essential income for the companies and for local communities that depend on them as buyers of their products or as some of the few local providers of formal employment. On a wider scale, it leads to fewer foreign investors who dare to take the risk of investing in fragile regions, due to legal, financial, or security concerns. The departure of more responsible foreign investors has created a vacuum now being filled by less scrupulous actors, namely businesses that exhibit a higher tolerance for risk and a diminished regard for human rights standards. This shift poses serious ethical and socio-economic concerns for the region. Meanwhile, the peace agreement signed in June 2025 between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda (brokered by the United States) has the potential to unlock new investments in the region, particularly in the lucrative mining sector. Without a commitment to long-term stability and inclusive development, there is a real danger that incoming investors may prioritise short-term profits while the deeper structural causes of conflict are not being tackled. Such a narrow focus risks entrenching inequality and sowing the seeds of future unrest.

Business Imperatives: What is needed to deal with these new realities?

Businesses can no longer treat geopolitical crises as distant or isolated incidents. They must build resilience, foresee disruptions, and deepen their understanding of vulnerable situations. This necessitates a significant shift, from passive compliance to active responsibility; from merely being bystanders to preparing for extreme scenarios. No matter the location or industry, companies must proactively protect human rights; not just to ‘do no harm’, but to foster positive impact and improving human security for neighboring people and communities. This is not just a moral obligation; it is a business necessity for long-term survival.

A central question that arises is this: how can businesses navigate this new complexity and fragility, learning from past experiences while adapting to the shifting geopolitical landscape?

We propose a transformative model: moving away from short-term, extractive practices towards more mindful and peace-oriented leadership.^[1] This model rests on three interconnected pillars (De Korte, 2024).^[2]

First, there is the human dimension, including leadership and consciousness. Within the company, people at all levels need to understand why it is important to pay attention to human rights and peace, and to establish a deeper consciousness on why peace matters in doing business. Therefore, a shift in leadership mentality across all levels is necessary, from the Executive Board to individual employees, to responsibly address the many challenges the company faces, including psychological safety, effective and transparent communication, emotional intelligence, humility, compassion, care, human security, and peace-oriented strategies. Business leaders should cultivate these qualities within the Board and implement interventions to ensure that most employees adopt a greater sense of urgency for this mindset.

Secondly, there is the compliance dimension. It is widely recognised that business compliance with national and international standards and regulations is essential for companies to become peace positive and retain their license to operate. Beyond legal compliance, this also involves establishing moral and ethical standards that are embedded within the DNA of all leadership and company processes. A key requirement for successful reporting is that everyone within the organisation should be convinced and intrinsically motivated by the reasons behind the stricter standards and the need to report on social impacts, whilst having the proper guidance to do so.

Finally, it is essential to consider the organisational dimension, including the mission, vision, strategy, and business models of the company, and to incorporate peace into them. Until recently, most businesses still took peace as a given and viewed conflict and fragility as issues that did not directly impact them. This has fundamentally changed with recent conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza, which have led business leaders to realise that they can no longer ignore the reality of an increasingly conflict-affected world. A recent business survey indicated that 76 percent of global CEOs are reevaluating their business models due to geopolitical tensions. For businesses to play a positive role, help resolve conflicts, and promote peace, this mindset must be embedded in the company’s plans and priorities.

The Way Forward: Mindful, Peace-Oriented Leadership

The authors’ premise is that businesses embracing a mindful, peace-oriented approach across the three above-mentioned dimensions will contribute to positive peace, moving beyond the current state of negative peace. By altering business strategies and behavior in these three areas – human, compliance, and organisational – business leaders will be able to navigate fragility and foster lasting positive impact. This transformation will not only promote social impact but also enhance the value attributed to businesses by investors and customers.

^[1] The ideas put forward in this blog will be presented in a more detail in a forthcoming academic paper.

^[2] E. de Korte (2024). Designing Peace-positive Businesses. How can businesses internally be designed to become positive forces for peace? VU University, Amsterdam; https://zenodo.org/records/15675781

Authors

Mark van Dorp is an economist in the field of private sector development, conflict & security, peace building and human rights in fragile and conflict-affected settings. For 25 years, he has held leadership positions in NGOs, research centers and consultancy firms, working with multinational companies, UN agencies and governments in the most fragile settings. In 2018, Mark founded Bureau Van Dorp, a boutique consultancy, and since 2022, he is also a Research Associate at the London School of Economics & Political Science (LSE). In 2025, he co-founded Elevate, a startup focused on leadership development, systemic transformation, and peace-positive business strategy.

Lara Tcholakian is an executive and professor specialising in leadership, organisational development, and trauma-informed governance. With 25 years in leadership positions in NGOs and corporations, she assists organisations in shifting towards human-centered, mindful leadership and empowers leaders and teams to lead with self-awareness. A doctor in Organisational Behaviour, Lara is a published scholar and international speaker. She has lived and worked in multiple countries and co-founded Elevate in 2025, a startup focused on leadership development, systemic transformation, and peace-positive business strategy.

Ezra de Korte is a strategist and leadership advisor dedicated to synchronising people and organisations for meaningful change. With experience spanning businesses, governments, and NGOs, he integrates innovation, leadership, and sustainability to foster collaboration and impact-driven strategies. He has worked as a consultant, advising corporate leaders, social enterprises, and public organisations on navigating complexity and aligning purpose with performance. Ezra holds an Executive MBA from VU University Amsterdam, specialising in designing peace-positive businesses. In 2025, he co-founded Elevate, a startup focused on leadership development, systemic transformation, and peace-positive business strategy.